Ennis (NYSE:EBF) Upgraded at Wall Street Zen

Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Ennis (NYSE:EBF) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note published on Saturday.

Separately, Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Ennis in a research report on Monday, December 29th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Hold rating, According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold”.

Ennis Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:EBF opened at $18.63 on Friday. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $17.66 and its 200-day simple moving average is $17.85. Ennis has a one year low of $16.30 and a one year high of $22.00. The firm has a market cap of $471.13 million, a PE ratio of 11.22 and a beta of 0.36.

Ennis (NYSE:EBF) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Monday, December 22nd. The industrial products company reported $0.42 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.41 by $0.01. The firm had revenue of $100.17 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $100.50 million. Ennis had a return on equity of 14.11% and a net margin of 11.01%.During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $0.39 earnings per share.

Ennis Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, February 5th. Investors of record on Thursday, January 8th will be paid a dividend of $0.25 per share. This represents a $1.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.4%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, January 8th. Ennis’s dividend payout ratio is 60.24%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, COO Boyne Wade Brewer acquired 2,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, November 3rd. The shares were bought at an average price of $17.05 per share, with a total value of $34,100.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief operating officer directly owned 23,684 shares in the company, valued at $403,812.20. This trade represents a 9.22% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. 3.70% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of Ennis

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Ennis by 66.2% in the 3rd quarter. Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. now owns 157,658 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $2,882,000 after buying an additional 62,790 shares in the last quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio boosted its stake in Ennis by 228.5% in the third quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio now owns 21,759 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $398,000 after acquiring an additional 15,136 shares in the last quarter. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV purchased a new position in Ennis in the third quarter worth $233,000. Millennium Management LLC grew its holdings in Ennis by 266.7% in the third quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 67,963 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $1,242,000 after purchasing an additional 49,427 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Bank of America Corp DE increased its position in shares of Ennis by 14.0% during the third quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 260,123 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $4,755,000 after purchasing an additional 31,960 shares in the last quarter. 74.33% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Ennis Company Profile

Ennis, Inc (NYSE: EBF) is a provider of print and related products and services designed to meet the needs of businesses and organizations across a variety of industries. Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, Ennis offers business forms, checks, manuals, labels, promotional signage and specialty packaging. The company also delivers e-commerce and software solutions that enable customers to manage orders, customize print jobs and streamline supply-chain processes through its integrated online platform.

Ennis’s core product offerings include continuous business forms, laser checks and security-enhanced documents, as well as graphic communications materials such as brochures, catalogs and direct-mail collateral.